Better Late Than Never
by LOSTrocker
Summary: Follows: "Here and Now", and "Immortality Bites". Another woman accepts who Mac really is.


A/N: This follows my "Here and Now", and "Immortality Bites" story  
arch. I felt so bad for Mac that I just had to give him a happy ending.  
Mac/OFC (duh!)

Better Late Then Never:  
By: LOSTrocker

Riley stormed into the bar. Joe knew she would be in here sooner or later.  
"Where is he?" Riley demanded without saying hi or hello.

Joe didn't have to ask who she was asking for: Mac. He was long gone, had  
left a couple of months ago. It was all because of her. Riley found out what  
he was. They were all surprised when she ended up staying. The last one, Lori  
ended up leaving because she couldn't handle it. Mac tried to so hard to get  
her to leave, but she wouldn't budge, so for her safety, he left. She  
wasn't going to call it quits that easily though. Riley knew she found  
something good and a man like Mac didn't come along everyday.

The problem was, Joe had already promised Mac not to tell her. He'd stopped  
by to let him know where he was going. "If Methos and Amanda come looking  
for me, then that's fine, but just don't tell her Joe. It's for her own  
good. In time, she'll see." That's what Mac had said before he left.

"I don't know," lied Joe.

"Bullshit," she cursed him. "If anyone knows where Duncan MacLeod is, it's  
you." That's when she grabbed him by the wrist to show his Watcher  
tattoo.

Joe yanked his arm back. "I said, I don't know." He tried to convince  
her but he could see in her eyes that she wasn't buying it.

"Don't play this game with me Dawson," she warned. "Please, just tell  
me where he is."

"I promised him I wouldn't." Joe informed her.

"It's not like you haven't betrayed him before!" Riley reminded him.  
Mac had several stories on his relationship with Joe.

"And I'm not too happy about it, and I personally don't want to go back  
there again!" Joe spat. "So, if you respect me, and if you love him like  
you say you do, then you'll just walk away. Dammit, just walk away!"

Mac lost a number of people thanks to his Immortality and the damn Game.  
Sometimes it was too much for the Highlander, Joe didn't want to see his  
best friend hurt again.

"I can't, don't you see I can't!" she returned tearfully. "I've  
tried, I really have, but all it does is hurt like hell!" she threw her  
hands up with frustration. Then she leaned in so she was eye to eye with him.  
"Tell me you haven't loved someone so much that you would risk your own  
life for them!"

Dawson couldn't turn away from her. He was used to seeing Mac care for  
others, it was hardly the other way around. Well, except the time with Tessa,  
but that was a long time ago. He knew he was going to kick himself in the ass  
for this later but deep down he had a feeling both he and Mac were going to  
regret this later if someone didn't step in.

"I can name a few." Joe admitted to her.

Riley smiled. He was going to tell her. "Where is he?" she asked again.

"I'll tell you one thing, Paris is really lovely this time of year." He  
hinted. Joe didn't really come out and tell her, so he was clear.

Paris! She should've known. Why didn't she think about that herself…?  
She couldn't help herself as she quickly kissed Joe on the cheek. "I owe you  
one Dawson!" she called as she ran out the door.

Joe laughed. "Yeah, just remember that when MacLeod comes after my ass!"  
he called after her. When she was gone, he shook his head and laughed.  
"Kids…"

Paris was really lovely this time of year, but Mac had a hard time enjoying,  
even with Amanda there with him it wasn't the same. "Riley's never been  
to Paris," he informed Amanda.

"I'm sure she would've loved it," Amanda comforted him the best she  
could, but it wasn't working. She understood completely. She kissed him on  
his shoulder. "You did the right thing."

"Did I?" he questioned. "Seriously, we sacrifice so much for the Game,  
don't we get anything in return?!"

Amanda gave him a light smile. "I'm still not use to it, and remember  
I'm much older then you are…"

The two stopped suddenly when a buzz washed over both of them.

"Expecting company?" Amanda asked him.

"No," he answered and got up so he could retrieve his sword.

Methos was almost to Mac's barge. He wanted to drop in to check on The  
Highlander to see how he was doing. Methos always thought seeing the righteous  
man sulk would make him feel better but it was killing him. He hated seeing  
Mac so upset.

Joe was able to give her directions. It took her awhile but she smiled when  
she came upon it. She smiled when she saw Methos walking up to the barge.  
She decided to sneak attack him but that turned out to be a bad idea, he  
nearly threw her over his shoulder.

"God… Riley!" Methos fussed at her. "What the bloody hell? I  
could've hurt you!"

"Note to self, don't scare The Old Man," she teased.

Methos shook his head. "You're not supposed to be here."

"Sometimes a good girl doesn't always do what she's told." She said.

Methos smiled. "Let me guess, Joe told you."

"Yeah," she answered. "He's going to kill me, but I have to see him  
Methos. I have to."

"I'm not going to stop you. In fact, I'll walk you in." Methos  
offered his arm to her.

Riley took it. He led the way into the barge. Methos wasn't aware of the  
blade that Mac had ready. He was glad when he ended up knocking.

"It's only me." Methos made known.

Mac and Amanda made a sigh of relief. They weren't in the mood for fighting  
today. "Methos, a phone call would be…" Then Mac saw that The Old Man  
wasn't alone. "Nice."

Methos pushed Riley in Mac's direction. "Hey MacLeod, miss me?" she  
questioned playfully.

"You told her?!" Mac snapped at Methos.

"It wasn't me!" Methos came to his defence.

"It really wasn't," Riley assured Mac before he sliced Methos' head  
off.

Mac had a good idea on who. "Dawson."

"Don't be angry with him Mac, I kind of figured it out." She half way  
lied. She didn't want Joe to take all the blame for this.

Amanda smiled. She walked up to Methos. "How about you treat me to a  
drink?"

"How about the other way around?" Methos returned.

Amanda dragged him out of the barge.

"What are you doing here?" Mac questioned angrily.

"Why do you think?" she answered. "I'm here because of you!"

"You shouldn't have come, you don't know, you just have no idea what  
you're getting yourself into!"

"Don't go telling me what I do and don't know Duncan!" she snapped at  
him. "I know very well what I'm getting myself into, and I don't  
care!"

Mac thought about trying to throw her out again but he knew it wouldn't  
do him any good. She'll come back. In a way, it was nice. Lori ran, but here  
Riley was fighting to stay.

The Highlander embraced her. Riley felt the tears coming but held them back.  
"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear.

All was forgiven. Hell, nothing seemed to matter now. All that did matter was  
they were back together in one of the most romantic cities of the world.

It didn't take them too long to make up for lost time…

Fin.


End file.
